Once lively and beautiful, Rosepost Kingdom was now a wasteland.

Houses, buildings, and workplaces, big and small, were now destroyed, burned by fire or smashed by boulders until there was nothing but the mere thought of wood, stone and bricks. The smokey smell of the burnt wood could still be smelled from far away. The castle, which once stood tall over the kingdom, was nonexistent, everything down to the smallest rock used to build it had been completely obliterated.

Uprooted trees, along with the ruins, covered the brick path of uptown as it also did downtown.

Anyone with a heart of good would instantly be overrun with a mix of shock and sorrow after seeing the blackened, blood-pouring, and nearly mutilated bodies of both knights and civilians that lay everywhere in the kingdom along with people and families crying over them.

But for Aldor it was a canvas. A beautiful, empty canvas. One that used to be covered with the paint of his enemy but was now washed away, making room for a new and better picture.

“Is he dead?”

Aldor stood face to face with Sorlia, queen of Frostland Kingdom, in what was left of the Kingdom of Rosepost.

She held her sword in her hand, still covered in the blood of King Rosepost, and pointed it at the corpse of the once alive, but not very useful, king. “Have you forgotten how to see or do you need me to do that as well?”

Upon turning around, Aldor saw the King’s lifeless body and smiled. Something he and Evisior tried so hard to do since the moment King Rosepost declined their offer to join them in forming a new world had been done. Finally, he thought, his chin up and shoulders back.

“And his daughter?” he asked Queen Sorlia, turning back to look at her brown eyes and long, straight blonde hair. She wore shiny dark blue armor fitted around the shape of her body. A white snowflake was branded on the center of her breastplate. Instead of a helmet, she wore a silver crown, which glistened in the light of the morning sun, so all who saw her knew she was of royalty.

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“What about his daughter?” she questioned.

“Is she dead?”

“You never said anything about killing his daughter. I didn’t even know he had one!” she exclaimed.

Aldor’s smile immediately faded. “I said kill the royals and knights, not kill the rest and leave one.”

“How can I kill what I don’t even know exists?” Sorlia with an exasperated sigh.

Aldor dropped his head and sighed.

“It’s likely that she escaped,” he began. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she went to request some other kingdom’s help. You and your army need to stay here in case she returns with allies. And make sure you kill her this time.”

“Why do you want them dead so much anyway?” Sorlia asked, tilting her head a little.

“Those who don’t submit to the grace of Myrmurrian have no choice but to fall to the blades of his followers,” Aldor stated. “Evisior and I tried to convince King Rosepost to join us, as we did you and Lord Darkstar. Either it was his laziness or ignorance, you can decide that for yourself. But he refused our offer.”

“You better not be lying about the power Myrmurrian will give us,” Sorlia demanded, disregarding what he said as she pointed her sword at his chest. “And hurry up and get your master back from Arlinbliss. My army and I won’t wait long for your plan to fall into place.” She lowered her sword.

“I have one more place to go before Arlinbliss.” Aldor responded.

“And where is that?”

“Indora.”

Queen Sorlia’s eyes widened. “Surely, you aren’t going to visit the Nalah.”

“Indeed I am,” answered Aldor. “Their magic is something we definitely need on our side.”

“You must desire death, because that’s what you’ll receive from them. A very fiery death.” Sorlia said, shaking her head left to right.

“Just do as I asked,” Aldor began as he walked away. “And you don’t have to worry about us lying to you or anyone else. We’d never lie to fellow believers.”

He caught a glimpse of Sorlia rolling her eyes before he turned around and began walking down the path, stepping over all the bodies, rubble, and trees as he passed by the white armored knights of Frostland Kingdom. The fiery wasteland of Indora weighed heavy on his mind as he exited the territory of the kingdom. Indora was located in Northern Lyrid. It would be a long walk, that is if he didn’t manage to find a horse along the way, which he hoped to do. But it would’ve been worth it. The Nalah’s power is something he and Evisior needed on their side as well as to learn. But the only challenge was convincing the stubborn Nalah to join him.

If they don’t, they’ll just receive the same fate as Rosepost.